"Why?"

It’s a simple question, one we mastered as children. Sometimes it's endearing, sometimes it’s frustrating, but it’s always fundamental. It fuels curiosity, builds knowledge, and leads to growth.
Why can’t I touch the stove? Why can’t I stick something in the outlet?

But spiritually? I haven’t asked “why” all that often. Maybe it felt like a subtle jab at scripture or at those in authority. Sometimes it was a jab, laced with sarcasm or disbelief. Yet over time, as I matured, I found “why” to be a question worth asking and answering.

The biggest question is this: Why do we exist, and why do we do the things we do? If you’ve never wrestled with that, I’d encourage you to start.

In the summer of 2007, I was leading a middle school youth group. A speaker at camp gave me the answer before I even knew to ask the question. And it rocked me.

Up to that point, my life had been about doing the “right thing.” I tried to be a moral guy who honored God, my family, our traditions, and my country. I had a clean record. People applauded the visible actions of my life, but no one ever asked about my motives. Truthfully, morality worked well for me because it kept me out of trouble. I didn’t want to disappoint my family, tarnish my grandpa’s legacy, or raise the cost of my car insurance. I stayed away from drugs and sex outside of marriage (kind of), partly because I feared the consequences. I didn’t want to derail my life. I didn’t want anything to disrupt my convenient life.

Can you relate? Do you cling to morality because you want to live a quiet, undisturbed life? Do you ever wish everyone else would do the same?

But that summer, at that camp in 2007, a pastor from North Dakota shared a truth I’d somehow missed. He quoted:

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).

Or, as Paul says it in Corinthians:

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

To the world, the Bible is just a rulebook. To the religious, it’s a checklist they hope to complete through structure and effort. But to the Christian, the Bible is the story of God—his work, his character, and his redemption, which fuels a desire to make him known in everything we do.

In one sense, the Christian life looks a lot like anyone else's. We get angry. We struggle with lust. We compare ourselves to others. We get road rage. We grieve losses around us. But the eternal difference is our connection to the Creator through Jesus Christ. We no longer live for ourselves; we live for Him. In our anger, we strive not to sin. We fight lust because Christ is enough. When we compare ourselves with others, we remember that we are not our own but that we’ve been fully redeemed. When we fall into road rage, we repent. When we grieve, we grieve with hope. The point being, it’s deeper than just avoiding sin.

What struck me that summer was this:
Even the “good” things we do must be done for the right reason.
That’s what separates God-glorifying actions from merely moral actions.

Do you read your Bible for the glory of God?
Do you serve your family for the glory of God?
Do you memorize scripture, say no to drugs, avoid drunkenness, and refuse to steal—for His glory? Not just because it’s right, or safe, convenient, or expected—but because it brings honor to Him?

The questions could go on forever. But at the heart of all of them is this one:

Why?
Why are you doing what you’re doing?

Veritas, while we await his return, we represent Christ and point to him in our attitudes and actions. Let’s point to him whether we are fighting sin or attempting to follow Christ.